


Scourge

by JMProfio



Category: Pendragon - D. J. MacHale
Genre: AU, M/M, Tentacles, it got way out of hand and i made a whole universe, just like completely au, tentacle dane, this was entirely started on that premise alone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-29
Packaged: 2018-12-08 17:30:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11651337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JMProfio/pseuds/JMProfio
Summary: AU fic, Bobby explores the forest at the edge of town investigating rumors of a strange monster living in the woods, and gets trapped in a strange realm controlled by a creature known as a Scourge Raven. The only other person there is a man named Dane, who has lost most of what he had to the Raven's hunger. (This literally just started as a slash idea and I got way too invested in the plot. There is a pretty detailed tentacle sex scene though. At least detailed for me)





	Scourge

**Author's Note:**

> This literally started as a oneshot, and I got carried away, so now I'm uploaded the ten pages I've written and I'm making it multichapter. Will probably have updates up within the year, unlike my other WIP which I think I might not ever actually finish (sorry)

No one ever entered the woods by the edge of town. They were haunted, was the popular explanation. There was a creature, a demon, that lurked through the trees and reached out to seize travelers with long, dark tendrils. It devoured hunters, pets , and children foolish enough to wander into its domain, and none had ever survived it's wrath. Bobby had always wondered about that—if no one ever survived, then where did the stories come from? If it devoured everyone that knew of its existence, then the fact remained that no one would be able to tell its story. It didn't make sense.

He'd taken to wandering near the edges of the woods, when no one was looking. It seemed safe enough, and he was a grown man, nearly 25, old enough to make his own decisions. He wasn't going to let some old superstition control his decisions. In fact, he'd made it his goal to prove to the other townsfolk that there was nothing at all to be frightened of in the woods. Armed with his camera, spare batteries, and enough food for a few days in case he got lost, he set out as soon as the sun rose to find this so-called monster.

At first, he had been slightly uneasy about his decision. What if there _were_ something in the woods? There were probably bears, possibly wolves—even if there isn't a supernatural creature, there were plenty of natural ones. But as he continued to walk, the woods remained quiet, eerily devoid of life. There were no birds in the trees, no fuzzy rodents scurrying among the leaves. The forest seemed almost... dead.

He paused, looking around him in an attempt to spot anything living at all. A cool breeze spread through the branches, rustling the stiff autumn leaves, but otherwise it was completely silent. Had he _ever_ seen any animals in the woods? Now that he thought about it, the birds and squirrels that moved freely around their town always stopped abruptly at the edge of the forest, as if they shared the superstition. Or maybe, because they knew it was true. He shook his head. That was ridiculous. There's no such thing as monsters, and he probably just hadn't spotted any animals yet. It was cold, and pretty early in the morning; chances were the forest animals were still asleep, or nocturnal.

Laughing at his own paranoia, he kept walking forward, scanning his eyes through the trees to spot anything that could be hiding among the foliage. Behind him, he heard a sharp _snap_ of a dry twig, as if someone had stepped on it, and he spun abruptly toward it, camera at the ready.

The path was empty, with no one in sight. After a moment's confusion, he spotted a large raven perched in one of the trees. It was larger than the ones in town, at least three times as big, and gazed at him with cool, blue eyes. He frowned slightly; ravens didn't usually have _blue_ eyes, did they? And did they usually get that big? And why was it just staring at him like that?

He steadied his camera, and snapped a picture of the strange beast. It cawed loudly, flapping its wings and taking off into the sky. Watching it for a moment, he saw that it was following the path, circling back every now and then.

It was _watching_ him.

He kept walking, shaking his head at how ridiculous the thought was. Why would it be watching him? Ravens were scavenger birds; they didn't hunt, and they didn't kill, except for maybe small mice and rodents. Definitely not people—this wasn't a Hitchcock movie.

Ignoring his airborne companion, he continued along the path, keeping an eye out for anything else in the forest. It seemed that he walked for hours, trudging on through the featureless forest, still eerily devoid of life. There was nothing in the woods, nothing at all. It was almost noon, and he still hadn't seen any animals at all. No rodents, no birds, no wolves or bears or deer. None at all.

Except for the raven.

He looked up at the sky, squinting against the sun, and saw its gargantuan shape circling lazily overhead. It was _definitely_ following him. Why, he had no idea, but it was almost certainly watching him from above. What kind of bird was this, he wondered. What did it want?

* * *

 

After a few more hours of walking, he spotted a shape in the distance. Squinting against the setting sun, he saw that it was a small cottage, hidden away in a clearing in the woods. It wasn't very impressive, possibly only a single room, but it was in surprisingly good shape, and he could see a light in its single window.

Someone was _living_ in the middle of the forest?

He approached the cottage nervously, a new fear creeping over him. What if this person was the beast from the tales? What if they were the reason there were no animals in the forest? What if, rather than a supernatural beast, there was just a human, living in the woods, preventing anyone from returning to the town? If he got their attention, was there a chance it would mean his death?

As he stepped into the clearing, the raven let out a loud caw and landed on the ground a few feet away. It looked directly at him, and cawed again. He took a step toward the cottage, and the raven hopped in front of him, blocking his path. He tried to step around, and the raven again hopped in front of him.

It was trying to _stop_ him.

He looked from the raven, to the small cottage, and back again. “What is it?” he asked. “Should I be worried?”

The raven watched him silently. Like he thought it could respond, he chided himself. It's a bird, it probably just wants a snack or something.

He reached into his bag, searching for something that would seem palatable to a large carrion bird. He doubted it would like trail mix, and it probably wasn't a fan of energy drinks. Eventually he settled on a pack of beef jerky he had thrown in, and pulling out a piece, he offered it to the raven.

It hopped slightly closer, examined the meat for a moment, then quickly snatched it out of his hand and hopped a few feet away to enjoy its feast. Watching for a moment to see if it would react, he began to move again toward the cottage. It watched him back as it ate, cawing again softly before apparently deciding he wasn't worth its time. He shrugged, and approached the door of the cottage.

He knocked, glancing over to see if he could see movement from inside the window. There was still light coming through the window, and he could see that it was coming from a fireplace burning in one side of the room. A cool wind blew through the clearing, and suddenly the fire seemed extremely inviting.

He knocked again, and this time a response came in the form of an impatient, “Who are you? What are you doing here?” The voice was low and deep, much more booming and powerful than Bobby had expected from someone living in a cottage in the middle of the woods.

“I'm... I'm just hiking through the woods here, and I didn't know anyone lived out here so I—”

“Go away.”

“I'm just trying to be friendly, there's no need to--”

“I said _go away_.”

“Fine,” Bobby muttered, turning away from the door and back toward the path. “No wonder the only thing out here is that dumb bird.”

From the clearing, the raven cawed sharply, obviously offended. Behind him, the door opened and a tall figure stepped out. The man didn't seem interested in Bobby, instead walking quickly past him to the raven and swinging his arm at it.

“Get out!” he snapped. “Blasted raven, I've told you a thousand times!” The bird avoided his swing, lifting into the air and soaring off into the sky. It circled the clearing for a moment, cawing, then flew off in the direction it had come from. The man watched it until it was out of sight, a scowl on his face. “Damned menace.”

“It was just a bird,” Bobby said.

The man turned back to him, and walked back until they were face to face. He towered over Bobby, at least a foot and a half taller, with silver hair that fell nearly to his waist and pale blue eyes. Even scowling, the man was exceedingly attractive, and as he towered over Bobby the smaller man suddenly felt very small.

“That bird,” the man muttered, “Is the reason you're here. It's not as innocent as it looks.”

“It's a _bird_ ,” Bobby replied. “Look, I dunno what your deal is, but I'm just gonna go, alright? You've obviously got your own stuff to be doing. Sorry to bother you.”

He began to walk back to the path, retracing his steps to the way he came. From the door of the cottage, the man called out, “Did you feed it?”

Bobby stopped, and turned back around. “Does it matter?”

The man's frown deepened. “At least tell me you didn't give it meat.”

A chill spread across Bobby's spine. Something was wrong, very wrong, and he wasn't sure what it was. The sky seemed to be growing darker, much faster than it should have been, and the wind was picking up. “Just a piece of beef jerky. Why?”

With a swear, the man moved quickly, grabbing Bobby by the arm and dragging him into the cottage. He slammed the door shut behind them, sliding five separate locks across the door before directing his attention to his unwilling house guest. “You have no idea what you've done.”

“What did I do?” Bobby asked nervously, peering out the window at the quickly darkening sky.

Clouds swirled overhead in a large spiral, and the winds had picked up to a howl. Among the clouds, he could just barely make out the shape of a large bird. The man glanced up at it and scowled. Then he turned abruptly to a row of bottles along the wall, and seized one of several small black vials. He thrust it at Bobby. “Drink this. Then I can explain.”

Bobby eyed the vial suspiciously. “...What is it?”

“Raven's blood.”

“It's _what?_ ”

The man sighed in irritation. “Just trust me and drink it, and I can explain when we aren't about to die. Or if you'd prefer, I could kick you out and you could experience your explanation firsthand.”

Bobby glanced at the vial, then to the swirling vortex in the sky outside, then begrudgingly took the vial. “Fine.” He opened the vial, hesitated for a moment, then shot back the strange liquid quickly before erupting in a fit of coughing. “That,” he gasped, “is the _worst_ thing I've ever tasted.”

“It's blood, it's not exactly a fine cognac.” The man took the vial, and placed it back with the others. “That should buy you some time, at least.”

Bobby looked out the window, and saw the clouds dissipating and clearing. The raven circled once, then flew off into the distance. “So... what was that?”

“A Scourge Raven. When you entered this forest, you were locked in its domain. It can grant anyone in its domain special abilities, but at a cost. The bargain is begun through a gift, of either blood or meat. Then, the raven will take what it wants for the deal. This can be a physical trait, like beauty or ability, or it can be something worse. Humanity, morality, and even life.”

The man's eyes grew distant, and he gazed out of the window as if remembering another time, one of his hands drifting to a ring on a thin chain around his neck.

“How long have you been here?” Bobby asked.

The man shook his head. “It's hard to say. After a while, I started losing sense of time. It didn't seem to matter out here.”

“So there's no way back?”

“Not that I've found. The raven changes the paths, so that you just end up walking in circles. You're trapped here.”

“Crap.” Bobby sunk down next to the fireplace, staring down at his feet. “Guess I know why they told me not to go into the woods.” He sighed, then looked up at the tall man. “What's your name, by the way?”

“I'm...” The man frowned slightly, his hand again drifting to the chain around his neck. “You can call me Dane.”

“Bobby. I'd say 'nice to meet you', but considering the evil birds and blood drinking I dunno if that fits.”

Dane smirked slightly. “I suppose you're right. Either way, it is occasionally nice to have visitors.” He glanced at the window, and the smirk fell. “Unfortunately, however, I'm going to have to ask you to leave now.”

“What?” Bobby exclaimed. “It's almost dark! You can't expect me to just--”

“You can't stay here. I... it isn't safe.”

“Why not?”

“Because--” Dane cried out in pain, reaching up to grasp his forehead. He stumbled back slightly, and the room seemed darker than it had been a moment ago.

Bobby rose to his feet, worry clear on his face. “Are you alright?”

Dane cried out again in pain, and when he looked up again his eyes were jet black. “There isn't time. I can't explain. I.. You should be safe if you stay nearby, but you have to--” He cried out again, his back arching and tense. When he spoke again, his voice was lower and scratchy, inhuman. “ _Get out. Get out now_.”

Bobby moved quickly to the door, terror outweighing his apprehension about the dark forest, and as soon as he was out in the clearing he heard the door locks frantically sliding into place behind him, followed by a guttural scream that devolved into a low, inhuman growl. A cool wind blew through the clearing, and he settled onto the ground near the cottage.

The trees around the clearing were surrounded by a thick darkness, the path he had followed earlier nowhere to be seen. Behind him in the cottage, he could hear thumps and crashes accompanied by growls and moans. He pulled himself into a ball, planning to find a way back as soon as it was daylight.

* * *

 

When Bobby woke up, it was to the soft patter of rain on his face. He rose awkwardly to his feet, wiping the rain water out of his eyes and taking in his surroundings. Behind him, the cottage door opened and Dane beckoned him inside.

There were bags under his eyes, and he moved slowly, as if he were extremely tired. “Apologies for last night,” he murmured. “I wish I had been able to explain myself before...”

“Before you went full on _Wolfman_?” Bobby responded.

The tall man laughed lightly. “I suppose that is an apt comparison. What you witnessed was my own experience with the Scourge Raven. When I was first trapped here, I didn't know what it could do. It took from me three times before I learned how to avoid it, each time taking more. The first time, it took the color from my hair for its feathers. The second, it took some of my vitality, as well as... something I cared for deeply. The third... it took my humanity.”

“So you aren't human?”

“Not entirely. The beast I turn into is entirely out of my control, doing whatever it pleases every night. It can be aggressive, or passive, or amorous, or occasionally murderous. I... it has killed at least a few other visitors, which is why I was so adamant that you leave.” He pressed a hand to his forehead. “It is also very taxing on me. If you don't mind, I need to rest. Feel free to make yourself at home; I can't imagine you got a very good night's rest out in the clearing.”

“Uh, sure,” Bobby replied. “You get some rest, and I'll just hang out by your fireplace. It's cold out there.”

He settled himself awkwardly by the fireplace, which he noticed had been relit and stocked with fresh logs since the night before. No doubt Dane had done it when he turned back; looking around, Bobby also noticed that it appeared that the man had done some cleaning, and there was a pile of broken glass and debris swept into a corner of the room.

Dane settled into a worn bed in the corner of the room, and almost instantly fell asleep. Bobby watched him for a moment, before drifting off to sleep next to the warmth of the fire.

* * *

 

“ _Well, isn't_ this _interesting..._ ”

The moment Bobby awoke, he realized that something was wrong. The fire had gone out, and he could hear a heavy downpour of rain outside. The room was almost completely dark, and a quick glance at the window showed that night had fallen while he had been asleep.

“ _He should have warned you that the days here are short._ ”

Bobby jumped at the sound of the low, scratchy voice. He blinked through the darkness, wishing his eyes would adjust to the low light so that he could see the figure standing at the opposite side of the room. As he became accustomed to the dark, he could see what appeared to be Dane, hunched over by the door. He was wavering back and forth, as though he were drunk, and his limbs seemed... off, somehow. The figure stepped forward, and Bobby could make out the strange alterations to the tall man's appearance.

His arms were longer, stretching out in front of him until they nearly touched the floor, and the fingers were a dark grey tapering into thin, tentacle-like appendages. His eyes were jet black, his teeth extended into sharp points, and several more tentacle-like appendages extended from his back and writhed around him like snakes. The creature grinned mischievously, placing itself between Bobby and the door.

“ _Why so frightened, human? You look like you've never seen a man without a soul._ ”

Bobby rose slowly to his feet, trying to at least appear calm. “Look,” he said. “I don't want any trouble. I'll just go, and--”

“ _Now, now, you act like I'm going to_ hurt _you. Where would you get_ that _idea?_ ” It laughed, a deep, scraping noise like nails across a chalkboard. “ _He hasn't noticed yet, but I_ do _sometimes share his feelings. And he doesn't want to hurt you. You remind him of someone._ ”

“I do?”

“ _Oh, yes. An old..._ friend _. And we'd never hurt you, trust me. At least... not on purpose._ ”

The creature began to move toward him, and as it did Bobby darted forward in an attempt to reach the door. His hand brushed against the doorknob for a moment before he was jerked back, one of the tentacles wrapping itself tightly around his waist and pulling him away from the exit.

“ _Come now_ ,” the creature murmured into his ear. “ _That's not very polite, is it?_ ”

“Let go of me!” he exclaimed.

“ _Where's the fun in that? Just because_ he's _a stick in the mud doesn't mean_ I _can't have some fun. It's been so_ long _since I've had company here; he keeps chasing them all away to 'save' them from me. It's been very... lonely._ ”

More of the tentacles began wrapping themselves around Bobby's torso, pulling him closer until he could feel the creature's chest pressed against his back. It brushed a hand lightly through his hair, and he could feel its breath warm against his neck.

“ _I'm sure you could help me find a way to entertain myself, couldn't you?_ ”

The creature ran its tongue lightly across Bobby's neck, and he shivered at the not-entirely-unpleasant sensation as he tried to piece together what exactly was happening. The creature appeared to be _flirting_ with him, and more than that the tentacles wrapping around his body were beginning to shift and move, spreading out over his skin, a few slipping under the fabric of his shirt and sliding across his chest. The tendrils were surprisingly soft and warm, their movements relaxing.

He felt heat spread across his face, and with a shock realized that he was _enjoying_ the sensations. The creature seemingly knew all the right pressure points, all the places to caress and tease, and he found himself hoping that the experience would continue. Its mouth brushed gently across his neck, and it lightly nipped at his ear with its sharp teeth. He gasped slightly, and the creature chuckled.

One of the larger tentacles unwrapped itself from his waist and began to slide under the edge of his shirt, teasing along the bare skin of his stomach. Bobby shivered at the sensation, feeling heat radiate across his chest as more of the tendrils began to explore his body, caressing lightly in some places, pressing with more force in others, each touch expertly placed to elicit a spark of ecstasy. Whatever Dane had become, it was evident that it knew _exactly_ what to do to reduce the smaller man to moans.

The tendrils began to work quickly at his clothes, lifting his shirt up and over his head as others slid across his waist and unfastened his jeans, sliding both pants and boxers off of his hips. Dane's lips pressed against his neck, nipping and sucking lightly at his skin; Bobby leaned into him, his breathing growing heavy as his eyes slid closed in pleasure.

As the tentacles finished with his clothes, they pressed again against the bare skin, caressing with more urgency than before. The tendrils began to twine around the base of his groin, grasping his quickly growing erection and sliding along its length in a gradually quickening tempo. He moaned, his hips thrusting forward with each skillful stroke. Dane seized one of Bobby's hands, pulling it backward until his fingers pressed upon the demon's own arousal. Taking the hint, the smaller man took hold of the shaft and began to match the strokes he was receiving, hearing Dane's own moans and gasps against his neck.

With a sudden movement, the tentacles wrapped about Bobby withdrew enough to spin him around to face his partner. Their eyes met, and he could see the lust and hunger overflowing in Dane's expression; the demon's hands moved to Bobby's shoulders, pushing him down onto his knees. Bobby's face flushed at the implication of what the other man wanted him to do.

“I, um, I mean--” he stuttered. “I've never, um...”

Dane's hand lightly caressed his face, lifting Bobby's head until their eyes met. “ _You don't have to do anything,_ ” he said, the growling voice somewhat less insistent than when they had begun. The desire was still evident his expression, but along with it was a softer clarity breaking through to the surface. “ _I understand I may be acting... overly eager._ ”

“It's, it's fine,” Bobby responded, realizing he was still awkwardly kneeling in front of the taller man. He rose shakily to his feet, moving close nervously, trying to find the words to express his feelings. “It's just... I usually, well I don't really... with someone I just met...and I, well I don't really want to _stop_ , but I...”

The demon smiled, his tentacles wrapping gently around the shorter man's waist. “ _Would you be more comfortable to slow down?_ ”

Bobby nodded slightly, placing his hands cautiously against Dane's chest. The demon leaned forward, pressing their lips into a gentle kiss, and he pressed back, feeling the pressure of the tendrils moving softly against his skin. The kiss deepened, and he felt the demon's tongue slip quickly into his mouth, noticing with surprise that it was lightly forked at the tip. Their breathing started to once again grow heavy, hands and tentacles both moving more desperately across cloth and skin. Bobby began to fumble with the buttons on Dane's shirt, and after several failed attempts to unclasp them, he felt a few of the tendrils move to assist him with the task.

The demon's mouth shifted, his lips sliding against Bobby's neck, nipping and sucking lightly at the skin. As he did, the tendrils began to wrap slowly around the smaller man's thighs, and suddenly Bobby felt his legs lifted off the ground, their bare bodies pressed tightly together as Dane carried him toward the bed.

The coarse surface pressed against his back as the demon pinned him to the mattress, trailing kisses and bites along his neck and chest. Bobby lifted his hips slightly, eliciting a moan from the taller man as their growing erections brushed momentarily together. He repeated the motion, this time wrapping his legs around the demon and simultaneously pulling their lips back together into a rough kiss. Dane moaned again, his hips pressing forward in the same desperate motions.

A few small tendrils slid down Bobby's sides and across his hips, pressing hungrily against his rear and pressing their hips even closer together. A few explored further, and he let out a small squeak as one of the thinner tentacles slid inside of him. The sound resulted in a light chuckle from Dane, and the appendage slid further in, exploring and wiggling from side to side in a way that created sensations both strange and ecstatic. Bobby groaned, feeling another small tendril accompany the first, followed by a third.

The tendrils continued to slip inside, stretching and exploring deeper than anything he had experienced before as a separate tentacle maneuvered in between their bodies and wrapped around both of their erections, quickly massaging them both at once. His moans grew louder, his hips thrusting back and forth in an attempt to match both sets of tendrils.

Dane seized Bobby's arms, pinning them above his head as the tendrils withdrew, to be swiftly replaced as the demon's erection pressed against his backside, teasing for a moment before pressing forward and sliding into him. Bobby groaned, feeling the heat and pressure as the demon began to move his hips back and forth, each time pressing a little further inside, increasing in speed with every moment.

Their bodies pressed together, moving and thrusting faster as the heat and pleasure of the moment began to reach a crescendo. The tentacles continued pressing against Bobby's torso, finding each sensitive area and teasing them until his breathing was ragged and heavy, punctuated by coarse moans. Dane's hips slammed forward, and the demon's back arched as he cried out in ecstasy; Bobby felt himself filled with warmth, and a moment later he was climaxing as well, his hips bucking forward as he felt his release.

The demon collapsed on top of him, his breath coming in exhausted gasps, the tendrils releasing their grip on Bobby's body. A light smile teased his lips as he watched the smaller man's sweat-drenched face, and as Bobby turned to meet the gaze, he smiled lazily back.

“ _The morning is sure to be interesting,_ ” the demon murmured. “ _I wonder how he'll react to see what I've done._ ”

Bobby hummed in agreement. “Yeah. I didn't really expect... this.”

“ _I have to say, it's pleasant to have company again. There hasn't been anyone here since..._ ” The smile disappeared from the demon's face, replaced by a look of grim remembrance.

“Since what?”

Dane was silent for a moment, a distant look in his eyes. “ _Nothing. If you ask tomorrow, maybe he'll be willing to tell you.”_

* * *

 

 

_It was the first time Dane had dreamed since the Scourge Raven had taken him. Along with humanity, the ability to dream seemed to be lost to him, but a mere distant memory of the man he had once been. But suddenly, he found himself dreaming._

_He was a young man again, once again in the small town where he had spent his entire life. A man of the cloth, the sole caretaker of the ancient church next to the edge of the forest. The women of the town often complimented his looks, his flowing black hair and blue eyes as bright as lightning. It was a shame, they said, that a priest had to abstain from romance._

_In front of him was another man, not quite as handsome but still quite good looking, a slight smile on his face as he leaned in the doorway to the church. His brown hair was messy and slightly unkempt, his clothes worn as if he had been traveling. It had been years since Dane had seen his old friend, and the sight of him brought a smile to his face._

_“What brings you back?” he asked. “I thought you said you'd never come back here, Press.”_

_Press laughed slightly. “I did say that, didn't I. Shame you wouldn't come with me.”_

_The smile faltered on Dane's face. “You know I can't. I could never leave.”_

_“Not even if I said please?”_

_He shook his head, trying to ignore the darkness growing in the sky outside. That hadn't happened, had it? He could recall the conversation with Press, but the sky hadn't been that dark, had it? The clouds hadn't swirled in such an ominous fashion._

_Press was standing closer, the brightness in his eyes faded somewhat. “You can't. Because you know what happened when you did.”_

_Dane's hands were shaking, the clouds outside forming a raging storm that blotted out the sun. “Press... I didn't mean for it to happen this way. We... we were supposed to... I wish I hadn't...”_

_“It wasn't your fault. We didn't know what it could do.” Press's expression was growing darker, the smile still lingering on his lips as his eyes began to be overwhelmed with shadows, and dark lines began to spread their way across his skin. “And you tried. I'll always remember that you tried.”_

_“None of it mattered. I only ended up losing myself as well.”_

_The specter of his friend reached out, taking Dane's hands gently. The darkness was spreading to his fingers, running along the lines of his veins. “You can still beat it. It's too late for me, but you can still get out of there.”_

_The dream began to flicker, and Dane was aware of the feeling of his bed, of the warmth of sunlight streaming through the window. He fought to stay asleep, to live in that moment for just a few moments longer._

_Press smiled at him as the dream grew dark, fading into the fog of consciousness. He spoke softly, the words barely an echo in Dane's mind as the dream ended._

_“Take care of my nephew, won't you? He's not as brave as he pretends to be.”_

* * *

 

Dane's eyes drifted open, and as his vision took in the room around him he struggled to recall what his other half had done the night before. It was always difficult to remember the transformation, the strain of what the Scourge Raven had done to him. He recalled awaking to Bobby resting near the hearth, exhausted no doubt from his night spent outside in the rain. And he recalled moving cautiously through the room as to not awake the sleeping man as he went about his day. At some point, he had thought that he should wake him, in case the night was as sudden and early as the day before.

And then, it was night. And Bobby was still inside. And he was out of time.

His mind had been taken over by fear as the transformation had begun, terror that his other half would end up harming him, or even worse, killing him. He could recall hearing himself say, “ _He should have warned you that the days here are short._ ”

What had happened after that? Where was Bobby now?

He sat up, and abruptly realized he wasn't alone. Beside him lay Bobby, still deep asleep, curled into an exhausted ball. And, he couldn't help but notice, entirely naked. Dane took in the state of the room, noting the clothes on the floor, and realizing that he too wasn't wearing a stitch of clothing.

_Oh._

Heat spread across his face as he rose from the bed, quickly gathering his clothes and dressing, careful not to wake Bobby. This hadn't been what he had expected to happen, but at least it seemed the man was still alive and well. Or at least, alive. Dane decided he would have to wait until he was awake to determine whether the smaller man was well; after all, he had slept with a demon. Not many people would willingly partake in that particular pasttime, and the thought that he may have forced the man made him sick to his stomach.

He glanced over at the sleeping figure, at least relieved to not see any injuries. He would ask to be sure, but the lack of bruises seemed to at least assure him the demon hadn't been too violent. Bobby shifted slightly, turning his head away from the morning sunlight, and Dane found himself staring at the young man.

Something about him seemed oddly familiar. Something about the shape of his face, angular but soft, reminded him of a vague memory from long ago. The memory of his dream drifted back to him, and the final words floated through his head. He shook his head, banishing the thought from his head. It was ridiculous. There was no way what he suspected about the man was even remotely true.

 

* * *

 

Bobby awoke to the sound of Dane quickly moving around the room, and as he opened his eyes the recollection of the night before came rushing back. The tentacled Dane, the heat... the _tentacles._ His brain latched onto that detail, replaying the events of the night before in precise detail as a deep blush spread across his face. That had happened, hadn't it? Tentacles and all? He was lying in the bed, definitely naked, and judging by the faint soreness in his body he decided that yes, that had very much happened.

Tentacles and all.

He could see Dane moving, but the taller man hadn't seemed to notice he was awake yet. It looked as if he were restocking the fireplace, bringing in more logs and relighting the fire to battle the outside cold. Every few seconds, he hazarded a glance over toward the bed, a strangely vulnerable nervousness on his face. Bobby hadn't gotten the impression the man _knew_ how to be nervous.

He sat up, looking around the room for where his clothes had been discarded the night before, and noticed that they had been folded neatly by the side of the bed. As he moved to grab them, Dane looked his way and paused momentarily, before quickly returning to his task.

“Good morning,” the blue-eyed man said, all semblance of the previous vulnerability hidden away.

“Y-yeah,” Bobby responded, dressing quickly and sitting awkwardly on the side of the bed. He cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say to breach the awkward silence that had begun to arise between them. Dane had finished relighting the fire, and was now jabbing at the flames with a poker as if stoking it further, avoiding looking at his companion. “So, um. So that happened.”

Dane nodded silently, still poking the fire.

Bobby stared down at his feet. He laughed nervously, mumbling, “I, uh, I don't really know what to do in these situations. I feel like I should buy you dinner or something.”

The tall man smiled slightly at the joke, and continued prodding at the flames.

“Y'know, I don't know much about fire, but I think that's pretty lit by now.”

Dane froze, then nodded and placed the poker down. He stood in place, staring intently away from the bed.

Bobby cleared his throat again, trying to find anything to say to break the silence. “Though speaking of dinner, I just realized I haven't eaten in a couple days. It's weird, I don't really feel any different.”

“..... You don't have to eat here,” Dane managed to say, directing his attention out of the window. “As far as I can tell, it keeps us alive somehow. We... I've never had to worry about food. It only serves as something to lure the Raven back.”

Something nagged at the back of Bobby's brain, and he fought to remember what it was. There was something he had forgotten about, something important. Suddenly, he rushed to his feet, heading quickly to the door while swearing loudly.

Dane turned toward his panic, following him to the sturdy door. “What is it?”

“My bag,” the panicked man explained hurriedly. “I think I might have left it outside. It's still got that jerky in it!”

The tall man swore, and they both rushed out into the clearing in time to see the Raven, perched over the torn black shape of Bobby's pack. The contents were scattered, the bag shredded into pieces, and in the bird's beak it held a single piece of beef jerky.

Dane ran toward it, swatting at the large carrion and attempting to knock the meat from its jaw. It evaded him, striking out with its claws and scraping a long scratch across his right arm. He flinched, but continued to fight back, trying to chase the bird away from its prize. Bobby stood frozen in place, watching the battle which it was more and more evident that the Raven was winning. He had to help, he had to find some way to chase it off before Dane was hurt, or worse, killed.

He spotted a large tree branch lying in the leaves nearby, and lifted it up, rushing forward and swinging wildly at the Raven. The branch connected with its wing, and it pulled back slightly, cawing loudly.

“Get away from it!” Dane snapped, moving between Bobby and the bird.

“I'm trying to help you!” he yelled back. “That thing's trying to kill you!”

The bird took to the sky, cawing loudly as it circled overhead.

“Not me,” Dane responded. “It's your food. It's after you.”

Bobby's eyes locked onto the bird, and he took a step back, and another, watching its slow descent as he began to back slowly toward the cabin. It was definitely moving toward him, the sky growing darker and more tumultuous with every swoop of its wings. He began to back up faster, his eyes fixated on the sky, moving blindly backwards. Without warning, his foot caught on a branch and he felt himself tumbling backwards, landing hard on the ground.

The Raven cawed, beginning to dive quickly towards him at it saw its prey fall. He stumbled quickly to his feet, turning to run, but as he did it was upon him. He flinched, awaiting the impact of claws, then gasped in surprise as the form of the Raven shifted and morphed into a cloud of dark smoke, encompassing him completely in shadow. He felt a cold presence around him, seizing at his throat and tightening, and Dane's voice calling out from what seemed like miles away.

Then, darkness.

 

* * *

 

When Bobby awoke, it was once again night. His head was fuzzy, and it took him a moment to realize he was lying on the small bed inside the cabin. Leaning over him was Dane, once again in his demonic, betentacled form. His face was one of concern, and the smaller man got the impression he had been watching over him for several hours.

“ _You're awake. I was beginning to worry. How are you feeling?_ ”

Bobby sat up, fighting back the headache throbbing against his skull. He opened his mouth to respond, and the words caught in his throat. He tried again, and again there was nothing. He tried to scream, to shout, to whisper, to say anything at all, and every time the words disappeared before they reached his tongue. His hand reached up to his throat, and he saw Dane's face morph into an expression of concern. He tried again to speak, to explain what was happening, and nothing happened. Panic set in, and with a horror he realized what the Scourge Raven had taken from him.

It had taken his voice.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Some bits seem a little rushed but I kinda just wanted to get this out. Stay tuned for more chapters in the future, probably. Maybe. But probably.


End file.
